Iker Casillas Fernández born 20 May 1981 is a World Cup-winning Spanish goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and serves as captain for both the Spanish national team and Real Madrid. As captain of the national side, he led a young Spanish team to their first European Championship in 44 years, his first senior international honour. In 2010, he led Spain to their first ever FIFA World Cup and won the Golden Glove for the tournament's best goalkeeper.
Since bursting onto the scene as a teenager, Casillas has been recognised as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, illustrated by the many awards he has received. He was nominated for the European Footballer of the Year award twice, ranking fourth overall in 2008 and continuing to be the highest-ranked goalkeeper again in 2009.At the end of 2009 he was voted into the UEFA Team of the Year for the third consecutive time. As of July 2010 Casillas is one of a very select group of players who have won all major club and national championship titles. In 2010, he was awarded with the Sports Prince of Asturias Award. On 19 October 2010, Casillas became the most capped goalkeeper of all time in the UEFA Champions League
Early life
Iker was born on 20 May 1981 in Móstoles, Community of Madrid to José Luis Casillas, a civil servant in the Ministry of Education, and María del Carmen Fernández González, a hairdresser. Both his parents had emigrated from their home town of Navalacruz, Ávila.When he was a child, he lived for some years in the Basque Country, but he has always considered Madrid to be his hometown.[citation needed] Iker has a brother, seven years younger, named Unai, who currently plays as a central midfielder for CD Móstoles.
As a young child in the 1980s, Casillas once forgot to post his father’s football pool coupons on the weekend his father had correctly predicted all 14 results; the family lost out on an estimated £1m.
Personal information
Full name: Iker Casillas Fernández
Date of birth: 20 May 1981 (1981-05-20)
Place of birth Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position: Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club: Real Madrid
Number: 1
Youth career
1990–1998 Real Madrid
Senior career*
1998–1999 Real Madrid C 26 (0)
1999 Real Madrid B 4 (0)
1999– Real Madrid 408 (0)
National team‡
1996 Spain U15 1 (0)
1996–1998 Spain U16 19 (0)
1997–1999 Spain U17 10 (0)
1999 Spain U18 4 (0)
1999 Spain U20 2 (0)
1999–2000 Spain U21 5 (0)
2000– Spain 117 (0)
Honours
Club
* La Liga (4): 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08
* Supercopa de España (3): 2001, 2003, 2008.
* UEFA Champions League (2): 1999–2000, 2001–02
* UEFA Super Cup (1): 2002
* Intercontinental Cup (1): 2002
Country
* UEFA U-15 Championship:1995
* UEFA U-16 Championship: 1997
* UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup: 1999
* FIFA World Youth Championship: 1999
* UEFA European Championship: 2008
* FIFA Confederations Cup: 2009 Third place
* FIFA World Cup: 2010
Individual
* Bravo Award: 2000
* Don Balón Award: Breakthrough Player 2000
* UEFA Team of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
* ESM Team of the Year: 2007–08
* Zamora Trophy: 2007–08
* UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2008
* FIFA World XI: 2008, 2009, 2010
* FIFA/FIFPro World's best goalkeeper 2008, 2009, 2010
* IFFHS Best Goalkeeper: 2008, 2009, 2010
* ESM Best European Goalkeeper: 2008, 2010
* FIFA.com Team of the Year: 2008
* LFP best goalkeeper: 2008–09]
* FIFA World Cup Golden Glove: 2010
* FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010
Personal
* Royal Order of Sporting Merit (Gold Medal): 2009–10
* Favourite son of Navalacruz: 2010
* Favourite son of Móstoles: 2010
Personal life
Since 2009, Casillas has been in a relationship with sports journalist Sara Carbonero.
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